


Sweet Revenge

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: At Current Canon Levels of Mostly Friendship, Background Relationships, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Season 3 compliant, canon typical action
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2020-10-12 13:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20565068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When a mid-day trip to the ice-skating rink goes awry, both Marinette and Adrien are trapped by a sticky situation.Will they manage to get a sweetly satisfying conclusion or is cataclysm inevitable?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gingerdaile](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=gingerdaile).

> With thanks to Kellarhi for beta reading and Yunyin for acting as a sounding board for this piece.
> 
> This is a 1500 Tumblr follower thank you for Tumblr user [gingerdaile](https://gingerdaile.tumblr.com/), and will be a few shorter chapters. I won't be revealing that prompt request quite yet as it will spoil what's coming. ;)

Alya frowned, paying far more attention to the phone than her feet as they all meandered over to the Ice Skating rink. “You’re really sure can’t make it?”

“Sorry! I’m sure.” Lila tossed her hair absently. “I’ve been invited to a party at the embassy. My mom asked for a little extra help with getting everything ready, so I won’t even be back this afternoon.” She preened, mulling over her nails. “Ladybug will be there… and a bunch of heads of state who are in town… ”

Alya shrieked with joy as Nino looked at her with unrestrained amusement. “Lila! You _have _to get me an interview…”

Marinette arched an incredulous brow. _ I guess I missed that invite..._ But, with Lila gone, at least she would get a bit of a reprieve from being continually on her guard. _I do wonder how she’s going to try to weasel her way out of Alya’s interview request…_

Marinette peered over at Adrien, catching his more genial expression before she rolled her eyes.

He simply shrugged, shaking his own head. Kagami looked between the pair of them in confusion, pondering their apparent silent communication..

Luka leaned down, whispering quietly near Marinette’s ear. “Are you okay?”

With a smile plastered onto her lips, Marinette simply nodded. 

Sabrina had bowed out with Chloe, who had been increasingly difficult to deal with of late—ever since they’d had to cut Chloe out of the _team_. Without all of their normal classmates, they had picked up a few others—Marc, Luka, and Kagami—so they could take advantage of the group skate rate.

With Chloe and Lila gone, it seemed like the worst she’d have to worry about now was klutzing out.

After only a few blocks more, they were all filing into the building, watching the last class finishing up on the ice as they waited their turn in line.

Everyone headed to the check in desk _en masse_ to grab their skates; lunch wouldn’t last long, and soon enough, they would all need to head back to school.

Marinette beamed, as she tightened her own laces beside Luka and Adrien. With the extra practice she’d had, at least she’d be far steadier on her feet this time.

* * *

Marinette lingered at the edge of the rink, watching Luka as he gracefully lifted Rose into the air immediately after he’d lowered his sister. As soon as they’d arrived, he’d insisted on repeating the lift with Marinette first. As they’d circled the rink, it was jarring to realize just how much more comfortable she felt to have the red and spots protecting her when the wind was rushing past her face; she clutched her purse a little tighter.

After Reflekdoll, she’d made a habit to keep Tikki close at all times. She was perfectly happy to be standing on the sidelines watching for the moment, especially because she didn’t dare set her purse down.

And the lunchtime crowd... well, that had only left her a little more skittish.

She was surprised to find Adrien skating to a halt beside her. “You don’t want to skate, Marinette?”

“I—” Marinette nibbled at her lip, looking back and forth between Adrien’s genuine concern and Kagami’s mild irritation. “I was just waiting for Luka to finish up…”

“No sense waiting alone.” Adrien smiled, clearly amused as he offered her his free arm. 

Blinking, Marinette’s gaze ping ponged back and forth between Adrien and Kagami... until it was halted by Kagami’s resolute sigh, as she looped her own arm more firmly on Adrien’s other side. “What are you waiting for?”

Marinette’s brows furrowed, hearing her rival and friend’s echoed dig about hesitation. Stubbornly, she accepted Adrien’s other arm. 

And once she had her bearings, they were off, skating in loops… at least as fast as the heavy crowd allowed. 

And as ecstatic as Marinette was at the fact that she’s blissfully arm and arm with Adrien, her attention was immediately drawn to a small crowd of skaters just outside of the ice rink. The group from Francoise Dupont had seen a lot of young athletes vacating the ice when they’d come in with the afternoon skating crowd.

It was clear that they’d only just wrapped up a lesson. But based on their very dressy outfits, it seemed certain that these young girls and boys were working to compete in some much larger competitions.

Despite the size of their group, there was obvious space surrounding a parent who was frowning at their child… a child who seemed to be cowering under the censure…

Inevitably, the distraction was Marinette’s downfall—literally—as she misstepped and fell, nearly dragging Adrien with her. Kagami skated up, barely managing to keep Adrien steady and upright… but he was equally quick to rush and help Marinette to her feet.

Alya and Nino sped over, followed by Luka.

But Marinette was only just brushing ice from the knees of her pink pants when the ice under her skates began growing sticky.

She wobbled a bit, trying to turn around... but that quickly grew impossible.

The hushed grumbling of the crowd around her was assurance that she wasn’t alone in her struggles. 

But it was the icy cackle—and the rapidly hardening sticky substance that coated the ice, locking them all in place—that ensured the current threat to that very large crowd was all too real…

“Well…” Adrien breathed, wide eyed. “This is a sticky situation…”

Marinette giggled a little madly. She _must _have misheard. Was _Adrien _punning? 

But oddly, it was enough like Chat Noir to put her in the Ladybug frame of mind and get her mental wheels rolling. She needed the familiarity to get her head in order—to out think this impossibly tricky, _sticky _situation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kellarhi for beta reading and to Yunyin helping with a lot of the design details and far more encouragement than I'd ever hoped! ♥️♥️♥️

Adrien gaped down at the Akuma… a childlike, frozen sprite who tore across the ice with a vengeance, leaving a sticky trail of inky ichor in her wake. 

Kagami drew closer to both himself and Marinette. Or at least as close as their rapidly hardening ground would allow—her protective instincts as sharp as ever. On the surface she seemed calm, but even she had the soft tell of panic as she watched the levels of sticky syrup rise quickly along the edge of the rink.

He realized he couldn’t even lift his own boot now...

“Well…” Adrien breathed, wide eyed. “This is a sticky situation...” The pun slipped past his lips, purely on instinct.

Though he heard it, Marinette’s nervous little giggle wasn’t doing anything to settle his heart. Nor was the way she’d tensed just beside him, as she nudged his leg with her knee when she bent down to puzzle over her skates.

His hand shot out, comfortingly squeezing her shoulder, as his eyes darted back across the rink, chasing the tiny threat with an assessing glare. He didn’t dare miss a detail… not when there was no way to know when Ladybug might appear.

The Akuma wore a blur of soft purples that deepened into blue, clearly similar to the practice costume shared by half a dozen young girls who were caught on the outskirts of the ice on the other side of the rink. It looked to be about half the number of children he’d noticed earlier, so at least some of them had managed to slip away.

“Helene? What on Earth are you doing?” The mother gasped as she gripped the railing, aghast at the sight of her small daughter.

“This?” The tiny Akuma shouted, before dashing into a quick spin that shot a sticky spray, locking the shocked older woman in place. 

She scowled—the lavender blue mask she wore shifted into midnight blue which gave her stony look an even bleaker edge. The glittering gems set on the mask at either side of each eye twinkled like the malice in them. “_This_, mother, is the sweetest revenge.” 

“For the last year… no sweets. No friends. No games. Barely enough time even for schoolwork.” The Akuma cackled gleefully as she leisurely skated across the mess. The more she skated, the more the sticky goop spilled from the skate tracks she was making. “Only practice, practice, practice.”

Her mother could only gape in return… her face was locked that way beneath the same substance rising along the surface of the ice.

“Only I _hated _it. And I tried to tell you—tell you both—but you would never, ever listen. _ I_ wanted to play. _I _wanted to be a normal kid.” The Akuma skated backwards, deft and deliberate as she locked her coach—who had previously been akumatized as Frozer—into place. “Well, now? Now, I’m the one deciding who goes where.”

Adrien peered over at Kagami. This was probably striking a little too close to home for her, too…

Not far from them, Alix snorted loudly. “Pressuring parents? Yep.” 

It was the oddest bit of luck that at least the Akuma had mostly focused her rage on the opposite side of the rink. The levels of sticky syrup were rising much more quickly on that edge. Even still, they weren’t entirely out of danger.

Especially since he couldn’t physically pry himself loose.

Alya sighed as she tucked her phone carefully back into her pocket, as the Akuma raced another loop.

Nino leaned in quietly. “Any sign of Ladybug?” 

Adrien stiffened, far too attuned to listening for even the tiniest morsel of news on his partner. He noticed with only a bit of surprise that Marinette’s shoulder stilled under hand… and that she flinched. Gently, he squeezed her shoulder again with as much reassurance as he could spare at the moment.

Alya shrugged. “Nothing yet for sure. But I just posted her diatribe on the Ladyblog, so Ladybug is sure to be on her way soon.”

Adrien held his breath, eyes darting recklessly down to his shirt pocket, where Plagg was hidden away. He wanted nothing more than to chat with Plagg, but he really couldn’t do that without making it look (and sound) like he was talking to himself. Considering how closely Kagami was watching him, he figured it was close to impossible. 

As if she could sense his unease, Kagami turned to look at him. “Adrien? Are you alright?”

Adrien nodded, eyes once more stealing down to his shirt pocket, floundering for an excuse that would cover all of his bases. “I’m just used to being in school and able to duck away to where my bodyguard is.”

He frowned, watching as the sticky, sweet levels continued to rise.

Max blinked down at the rapidly fading ice. “Is that caramel?”

Alix fearlessly bent over—a challenge without moving the lower blades—swooping down and quickly swiping a finger into the sticky goop. She took a hesitant sniff before pressing the dollop to her tongue. “Tastes like it.”

“For real?” Kim grinned. "I've got this guys...." He bent down towards the ice before scooping some of the still-syrupy liquid into his hands and slurping it. 

“Do you have an iron stomach, Kim?” Max adjusted his glasses on his nose. “According to my calculations, even if you were able to eat the entirety of this mess, we’d be here all week.”

Alix looked unimpressed. “It seems like we might be here anyways… especially with no sign of Ladybug or Chat Noir just yet.”

Alya folded her arms over her chest. “They can’t get here instantly. I only just got the Ladyblog post up. They need to know where to go.”

Adrien peered over at Marinette, whose knee knocked against his leg as she continued to struggle against the still immobile skates. 

She had been so focused, and it seemed to have paid off. She’d managed to pry one foot free of the skate, by unlacing them and shoving _something _between her foot and the tongue of the skate which gave her feet some breathing room. It was a good idea… and not the first she’d had. Marinette was one of the few whose creativity could hold a candle to Ladybug’s.

“Sorry,” Marinette whimpered as she continued to bump into him while she steadied herself to free her own skates… She leveraged her foot, moving as much as possible in the boots, but one of her ankles was still locked in tight…

The steadying laces which made skating safer was only complicating their hope for escape.

“Is that working at all?” He asked, with bated breath.

Marinette sighed, stray hairs slipping free of her ribbon. “Well, the skates wouldn’t move, but I managed to get my feet loose by unlacing.”

If she could get loose? “So there’s hope for the rest of us, too…”

Kagami frowned before ducking down to try herself. “Probably not. Not with the way these levels are rising.”

Adrien breathed. Unless Ladybug showed up in the next minute they were all sitting ducks.

Marinette exhaled sharply, peering around the rink. “Well, I still can get out… not that it will do me much good. Not if I can’t get anywhere else… and fast. The stickiness is seeping into the skates now.”

“Here.” Adrien reacted almost without thinking, tugging her up out of the skates and into his arms, bridal style.

Marinette blushed furiously. 

Luka made the oddest face… before peering over at his sister, checking to ensure she was as right as could be given this craziness.

Alya merely grinned, giving Nino a not-so-subtle thumbs up that Adrien was trying hard to ignore. 

Undeterred, Alya tugged her phone back out of her pocket and back in his direction… while Nino just rolled his eyes to the heavens.

At least the Akuma was busy monologuing. “No one in Paris listened to me when I said I was drowning under all of this pressure. Now, all of Paris will _have _to… or they will drown _themselves_.”

“You know…” Alix chided, arms crossing over her chest. “She’d be a lot more sympathetic a villain if she wasn’t trying to kill us all. She’s not the only one with demanding parents...”

Adrien peered around… there was _still_ no sign of Ladybug. Alya had her phone out and would have told them already if Ladybug had been sighted.

He grimaced. How could he possibly escape? It wasn’t like Plagg could exactly pop out with this crowd… 

Part of him was sorely tempted to ask Plagg to use his powers more directly, but he couldn’t trust that people wouldn’t get hurt. Plagg’s power—even while tempered—was still very strong, which only increased the chance of someone he cared about getting hurt. All of his closest friends were within about a four meter range…

All _but _Ladybug.

There was just too much risk. Too much potential for things to go sideways. And he’d never be able to explain what happened if everything failed...

Adrien shut his eyes. There was no way out for him… and no way to tell _Ladybug _he couldn’t break away…

* * *

Marinette breathed.

Well, she _tried _to, though her face was still ablaze. Nestled all too neatly into Adrien’s arms, it was as if she was living in every possible dream scenario she’d had, all at once.

Adrien’s heartbeat raced—surely panicked—beneath her ear.

That brought her back to herself. This really was a total nightmare. 

She _needed _to think—to figure out some way to get everyone out safely. But she was in the one situation where it would be almost physically impossible to.

This was _bad_. She was stuck here, and most of the friends she could call on where stuck here, too.

And aside from her, nobody was able to move.

Adrien readjusted his hold on her in his arms. “Nothing yet on Ladybug?” 

Alya’s jaw clenched. “No one has even spotted her yet.”

Marinette cleared her throat. “What about Chat Noir?”

“Not him either…” Alya muttered darkly. “Where _are _they…?”

Luka met her worried gaze. 

Marinette was clearly panicking, and his steadying calm helped a little. Talking to Tikki would help more, but there was no way she could do that… not without escaping.

Alya’s phone was back in her hands, scouring her news sources for any hint of the heroes. 

Marinette eyed her purse warily. “What if she doesn’t come?”

Adrien brushed his thumb in lazy circles against her shoulder. “She’ll be here. I trust her.”

And—just like that—breathing became impossible again. 

Marinette shook her head, desperate to clear her thoughts as she rifled through her bag—now on her lap while she was held safely in Adrien’s arms. But prepared as she was, there wasn’t much else she had tucked into her bag… outside of Tikki and a handful of macarons. 

Alya gasped. “Oh no! Ladybug was supposed to be at that event with Lila!”

“Alya—” Marinette started.

But it was too late. Alya was already dialing. “Lila! Oh, thank goodness! We need your help! Can you put Ladybug on?”

“Oh…” Lila’s false care carried across the line, feigned pout and all. “But Ladybug isn’t here yet. I don’t know if I can help from here…”

Alya inhaled. “Then she must be on her way.”

Lila nodded. “I bet she is. I’ll see you all tomorrow, right?”

“Sure.” Alya responded as the phone cut out.

Lila’s lies only made Marinette more anxious…

Their situation was already bad enough... but adding false hope? 

That was _worse_.

Adrien noticed her trembling before she was aware of it herself. “Are you alright, Marinette?”

She nibbled at her lip, searching for an answer. But nothing helpful came. She pressed her hand absently to her stomach to quell the rise of butterflies at the gentle concern focused entirely at her. 

“Nervous stomach?” He offered.

The half-smile curved her lips. “It’s why I usually hide alone when I can…”

Adrien nodded sagely.

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief… at least, until she remembered his understanding had come only because of that whole embarrassing stomach medicine fiasco, where he’d picked some up for her during her confession gone awry…

Marinette slammed her eyes shut. 

“Sorry. I know how scary this must be…” He gently squeezed her a little closer. “But it will be okay. Ladybug will come and save us.”

She gulped, turning her eyes up to Adrien, more fearless as the growing tide of panic set her own heart into her throat. “But what if she doesn’t? What if she _can’t_?”

“What does that mean…?” Adrien tilted his head. “She’s _never _let Paris down before.”

Marinette shook her head again. “But for this, wouldn’t Chat Noir be better anyways? He could break all of this apart with one well-placed cataclysm…and get everyone out.”

Adrien looked incredulous. “What if he hit people?”

Marinette arched a brow at that. “I think you’re underestimating him…”

There was a weird range of emotions—a whole bunch she couldn’t place—rushing over his face. Finally, he sighed. “A Cataclysm can _hurt_, Marinette…”

“He’s right, you know,” Alya nodded. “It seemed to hurt _him_, that time he managed to get hit by…” She chatted conspiratorially with Nino… ”Miraculer, wasn’t it? And he’s brought down bigger things than this entire ice rink before.” Alya pointed out.

Marinette bit her lip. She knew all too well that was actually Plagg… But there was no way Plagg could be close enough to help. Surely, he’d help if he was…

“Either way, they’d better get here quickly…” Alya continued, “because there’s no telling how much more time we have...”

Actually,” Max slid his glasses back, ever so helpfully spitting out the calculations. “By my best guess based on the specifications of this rink, we probably have about 8.25 minutes before this covers the shortest of us.”

She peered into her purse, locking with Tikki’s fearful blue eyes. 

Marinette knew that nearly everyone here has been trusted with a Miraculous… 

With no sign of Chat Noir, she could probably use all of their help—provided she could get away and outrace the Akuma out the door.

Mentally, she did a tally of who could help the most. Viperion wouldn’t work… not without him already pinning everything into place. Rena could distract, and Carapace could play tank… Pegasus and Ryuko might be useful too… only she couldn’t put Kagami at any more risk...

Marinette flinched. This was it, then, wasn’t it? 

She knew she wouldn't be able to stay here in Adrien’s arms, safe for only a few precious moments more in her own obscurity… not with a battle imminent as soon as she made her entrance. 

Everyone would be shocked for sure. But they would understand how she’d had to keep her identity secret. How it was the only way to keep them—and Paris—safe…

They _had_ to.

She turned to Alya, meeting her gaze with every ounce of Ladybug courage she could muster.. Her best friend was the one who would take her superhero silence the hardest. “Sorry about this…” 

Alya’s brows furrowed in confusion.

But she wasn’t the one who spoke. “Sorry about what?” Adrien murmured, distracted as he had been busy focusing on the doors, watching for any sign that Ladybug had arrived.

Marinette inhaled, closing her eyes and mustering the last bits of courage she needed to pull this off. “Tikki…”

When she opened her eyes again, she’d never expected to look up and see the sheer shock on Adrien’s face. His mesmerized gaze snapped down to her but it was only a moment before she whispered the words. “Spots on.” 

She wasn’t sure what had happened next—the transformation was pure muscle memory—just that Adrien had wrapped his arms around her more tightly. She wasn’t about to complain… if anything, it would keep her more shielded and mask the wash of red and pink glow. At least until the light show had ended.

If she’d lingered in Adrien Agreste’s arms a few more precious seconds—all while he was looking at her like she’d hung the moon—well, what girl in Paris could blame her?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Enberlight for the quick beta read!

Alya’s jaw dropped, watching the shimmer of red light slip over her best friend’s form.

She had seen a transformation before -- her own and Nino’s, up close and personal. 

But _nothing _had really prepared her for watching her best friend become her favorite hero.

Shocked as she was, Alya was quick to recover from it. 

Well, quicker than most…

It hadn’t taken her more than a quick sweep of the group to confirm that they _all _were frozen in place. 

But none quite so much as _Adrien_. He held her with so much soft reverence that Alya hated that her phone wasn’t already primed for photos.

She scrambled, tugging it free of her jeans pocket and tapping the button repeatedly. 

She knew Ladybug had never dared to linger long with a battle to be had, which meant there wasn’t much time to snap a quick photo.

Or six…

Marinette would absolutely lose her mind to have that particular picture committed to digital film. Especially with the shocked -- amazed -- expression on Adrien’s face.

When she was sure she had enough, she looked back around enjoying the mix of reactions.

Nino had wrapped his arm around her waist, looked quietly amused by the whole thing. 

Alix, who had been gaping quietly, now had a surprisingly satisfied smirk settled onto her lips. Juleka and Rose were beaming at one another.

Luka looked sweetly awed at Marinette.

Kagami seemed to be taking Adrien’s reaction suspiciously, but did not seem terribly surprised that Marinette herself was Ladybug.

Max seemed to be going over revised calculations in his phone. 

Meanwhile, Kim tapped his shoulder. "Hey? Where did Marinette go?" 

Alya snorted. Clearly, not everyone had puzzled this one out...

Luka and Kagami merely glanced at one another and sighed wearily before leaning in to provide Marinette with more cover.

Alya scowled down at her phone as her mind started to connect the spots. “So you really _did _know Lila was lying.” 

“Not that I could really explain it.” Ladybug peered back at a dazed Adrien. “You’re going to have to let me go, you know?”

Dumbfounded, he nodded. 

As tough as Ladybug was? He was holding her -- without apparently straining a muscle, interestingly enough… as if she was as delicate as glass.

Blinking, Alya shoved her phone back into her pocket. It was actually pretty impressive. She hadn’t thought that Adrien would have had it in him…

His eyes darted around the rink, watching more seriously for any sign that the Akuma had noticed. “Are you going to need any help from us?”

She narrowed her blue eyes, assessing. “Has she noticed?”

“Not yet…” Luka chimed in, standing a bit taller to help shield her smaller form. The others followed suit, as much as possible with their feet all firmly frozen to the ice.

“I don’t really want to set you back down onto the ice.” Adrien was blushing adorably, pink to the tips of his ears, a soft smile curved his lips. 

“Oh!” Marinette -- Ladybug! Alya corrected -- breathed. She gazed up Adrien as if he’d hung the moon.

Alya chuckled. Not that _that _was anything new…

But Adrien wasn’t nearly as immune as he pretended to be.

To his credit, he was serious as a heart attack, scouring around for something along the periphery of the rink. “Not until we can get you up and out of here safely.”

Her eyes darted up to the rafters seeking out a solution. “There’s not really much of an option to use to catch my yo-yo on.”

Nino spoke up. “What can we do to help?”

Panic gave way to fierce confidence on Ladybug’s face. “Then I need to get out. Until Chat Noir gets here, I need everyone to do all they can to keep from freezing. I’m sure that Chat Noir and I are going to need another set of hands to freeze this Akuma in place.” 

They all frowned, as new gasps started to rise up in the crowd

Adrien held Ladybug closer as they all saw a few of the people on the edges start to slow until they froze in place, their faces locked in horror. 

"Alya.” Ladybug’s voice turned to steel. “I'm going to need Chat. Now!" 

"On it!"

Adrien’s eyes widened, impossibly watching Marinette with even more awe than she’d ever thought possible.

Shaking her head, Alya forced her focus back onto her phone. “Everyone else needs to start thinking of a solution…”

Adrien cleared his throat, his shirt shifting that the sudden movement. “I _may _have a way…”

Ladybug beamed at him, clearly far too pleased by his too timely solution. “Oh?”

Alya rolled her eyes. “What is it then?”

Ladybug frowned, glancing briefly back to the growing ice line. “We don’t have much time, Adrien.”

“Oh…” he breathed. Anxiously, Adrien’s eyes bouncing between herself and the girl still being held tightly in his arms, until his eyes locked firmly --finally -- with Marinette’s. “I’m afraid you’re not going to like it much..._m’Lady_.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Enberlight for beta reading!

Although her cheeks had to be crimson enough to match her mask, Ladybug was never more glad to have her mask in place. 

In that moment, she wanted to panic. She wanted to scream. She wanted to scramble to the other end of the rink.

She literally _wanted _nothing more.

But Paris was in _danger_.

Like it or not, she literally could not have been in better hands…

Trouble was? She did very much like it...

Whimpering, Ladybug slammed her eyes shut, tucking her head against his chest. 

Plagg peeked his tiny head out of Adrien’s shirt pocket, leering in amusement at her.

She blinked at the Kwami. Even though she knew… even as it made rational sense —considering Adrien’s very specific words—Plagg’s presence seemed entirely impossible. 

Im_plaws_ible...

She shook her head, slapping her hands against her cheeks. 

There was no time to panic. Not now.

Plagg darted out of his hiding place, slipping into the center of the group. “Well, Ladybug?”

Alya slapped her hands over her mouth, barely holding back a delighted scream.

Nino squeezed her hand...tempering the joyous gut reaction. Reminding her of the slow crawl of caramel still coming across the ice. “Babe. The Akuma might have left, but there are still people watching.”

Kagami arched a not entirely incredulous brow. “Oh for pity’s sake…” she muttered, shifting her legs around as much as possible.

Ladybug ‘s eyes slipped over to Kagami, offering a repentant smile to her newest friend. There was actually no one more crucial that she’d need to get safely away. Ryuko’s fire power would be extremely handy in evening the score...and maybe Viperion’s Second Chance, too.

She bit her lip, especially considering how much she was already floundering already. 

She glanced over at Luka. 

But at the moment, all of this seemed incredibly unfair to him…

To _all _of them.

She breathed, relieved. As always, there was amazing understanding in Luka’s eyes—sadness, too—but he’d nodded.

There was no telling if anyone else might be more able to break free. But if she could _just_ get away and grab the box...

“Plagg,” Ladybug whispered finally. “Think you can manage to _break the ice_.”

Plagg cackled merrily, peering gleefully back up at his chosen. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Pouncing down onto the ice, Plagg unleashed the crackle of dark energy, splintering the ice and cracking the frost-stiffened caramel above it. 

With a sharp inhale, Ladybug glanced up at Adrien, still fully bowled over by the sheer awe on his face.

And not one bit surprised by his _unmasked _delight at her pun. 

Turning her gaze strategically away, she adjusted herself in Adrien’s arms, not really trusting her own words at the moment. She pulled her yo-yo from its spot at her hip, aiming herself in the best direction. “Ready?” 

She didn’t need to look back at him. 

“Ready, m’Lady.” His arm muscles tensed beneath her back. 

She already knew instinctively that he had grasped his role for the first half of her plan.

That was a fact that grew only more certain in her mind, as he tossed her just a bit higher so her yo-yo could cleanly snag one of the few support columns along the edge of the rink and not knock any of their friends out as she rushed from one end of the rink to the other.

“Claws out!” He whispered, as the yo-yo propelled her forward. His hushed words sounded like a beacon to her super sensitive ears.

Shaking her head, Ladybug raced off, rushing towards Master Fu.

Knowing_ her Kitty_ would have everything in hand…


	5. Chapter 5

As Kagami kicked her skates to free her legs from the sticky caramel surface, she stared up into the rafters.

Chat Noir flipped into the air above her, using his baton to vault himself free before any caramel could seep back in. The others that had been trapped were all in various stages of trying to scuttle off the ice while they still had any opportunity.

The Akuma had fled the arena; Chat Noir—Adrien—rushed off in hot pursuit. But, not before making a show with a few extra athletic leaps and bounds. 

Kagami shook her head, slowly navigating through the broken ice; It was very much like Adrien to sneak superfluous movements into an attack.

She always attacked him head on—not one movement to spare. On his better days, Adrien insisted upon dodging; she thought she’d had him basically figured out.

But despite his showy nature, he was clearly able to obscure some really important details. This failure to see past Adrien’s moves—her failure to spot the secrets he was hiding—had led her to a very clear, _very _permanent loss.

Kagami frowned. She never took losing well...

She mused on how she’d been very right… and yet, somehow, had missed the most important detail of all…

It wasn’t like her to be flummoxed. Adrien hadn’t really even _noticed _her. Not with Marinette—not with Ladybug—in his arms. Kagami scowled. She had been _so close_ to winning the battle for his heart. 

She’d seen Adrien’s phone enough to believe he’d had a bit of a celebrity crush on Ladybug. But, because Adrien didn’t like to do things halfway, she’d just assumed that was a holdover from working on that movie—some weird acting aspect she didn’t fully understand.

She had assumed that Adrien had some sort of crush on Marinette, too. But, it was clear to her now that it hadn't actually been Marinette in his heart—not entirely—otherwise, Kagami herself wouldn't have had any chance for months now. And, Marinette had acted like she was equally out of the running.

It was Marinette’s uncertainty that had given her hope.

Hope was a fickle thing…

She kicked her foot, ruthlessly tugging to dislodge it from the sticky ice; however, it refused to budge. Though her form was lithe muscle, the skate was stuck in there solidly in the rapidly re-solidifying caramel. 

Ducking down, she wrenched her leg, trying to pull it free.

"Need a hand?"

She blinked up at the proffered hand. 

Luka had come back for her—and fast. He must have been watching over everyone. 

“Ready?” The taller boy whispered. 

With a nod, Kagami moved with him in concert. It took all his strength to help her pull free without either of them toppling onto the gluey debris. The skate pulled free of the sticky mess of ice, but had pulled a heavy chunk along with it.

“C’mon,” he said, shifting her focus. He grabbed her hand and tried tugging her to safety. 

Noticing her silence, he tried to engage her in conversation.

“What powers did you have?”

“What?” She hissed, peering down anxiously at her stilted gait; the ice still caught on her skate was heavy, and slowing her down.

“I saw how _she _was watching you.” 

“Oh.” Kagami’s brow furrowed. _She _was still the one he was most worried about. However, he _had_ hung back for her. After all, there was no one else who understood better how he must be feeling right now…

“They’re elemental.”

Luka nodded, ushering her around a larger chunk of displaced ice. “Like water?”

Kagami tilted her head. “Just like.”

He smiled. “Then that’s probably why. It was really _you _that she wanted to extract safely.” He stopped in front of her. "Get up," he suddenly ordered, and she was confused momentarily until she realized he expected her to hop onto his back.

"You don’t have to.” Kagami straightened, her posture rigid. “I’m perfectly capable."

Luka smiled. "I figured as much. However, when I have them, my powers only allow me to go back so far.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure I really want to risk you not getting away safely. Not with all that sticky stuff slowing you down.”

"Powers?" Her eyes narrowed. She wrapped an arm about his shoulders, balancing her weight carefully on his back using the free hand to work at shedding her weighty skates. “You have a Miraculous, too?”

He nodded, peering back over his shoulder. “I can give the team a second chance… but only _after _I’ve activated my skill—since I don’t have any powers right now, trying again is not an option.”

Kagami leaned into his back, eyes now wide. “Those extra chances aren’t exactly easy to come by.”

His chuckle left his chest rumbling beneath her fingertips. “Well, as great as it can be, it’s not exactly easy to watch all the ways things can go wrong, either…”

One by one, she let the heavy skates drop to the floor, carefully wrapping her other arm over his shoulder. “I’m not too heavy?

“You’re lighter than my sister.” He assured. “I can get us both to the edge of the park at least.”

* * *

Shuffling through the warm, sticky-slick caramel was tricky enough without the added weight at his back.

Even though Luka knew there was no way Marinette would choose him _now_, he wasn’t about to let her down. Not when he could still do something to help. 

This was bigger than him. Bigger than _all _of them.

It was no wonder Marinette sometimes looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders…

She really had been. But she wasn’t exactly as lonely as he’d figured...

It even explained why Marinette seemed stuck in a near permanent limbo. He knew she’d been head over heels for Adrien… and all of Paris could tell that Chat Noir was thoroughly smitten with his partner—even if she kept a very professional distance.

And for both of them to be as young as his own sister… Luka shook his head, pausing only for a moment to readjust his hold on Kagami’s thighs.

The tune his mind kept circling around for her… that was their song, spinning endlessly in one another’s orbit. 

At least it was clear to him that he’d been right to fall for her. 

Even if her heart hadn’t been able to be won…

She still kept being an endless muse for song. 

There was another tune his mind had started to run in the middle of their battles.

If he was lucky enough, maybe he’d soon get another chance to memorize all the chords...

He couldn't help but try to fill the awkward silence. "Honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if everyone here had powers, also."

Kagami frowned. "Isn't your sister here too?"

Luka grinned, nodding ahead to where Juleka and Rose were sprinting ahead, hand in hand as they tugged off their skates and followed Marinette’s other friends up to higher grounds. "That's part of what has me worried…"

Kagami chuckled musically in his ear, genuine mirth decrescendo-ing to a soft sigh. "You must be a good brother, then."

Luka smiled warmly. "I hope so…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have struggled for this chapter...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to Kellarhi for the beta read!

At the top of the long flight of steps, Nino panted, his hands gripping his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. Alya was breathing a little heavily, too, but was entirely, single-mindedly focused—she had to be, her best friend was out there. 

“This staircase doesn’t go all the way to the roof,” she wheezed. Pressing her camera to the open window, she snapped a photo of Chat Noir as he led the Akuma away in the distance. “That means there has to be another on the other side of the building.”

His eyes followed her gaze, watching the Akuma race through the streets below, a syrupy sweet mess of caramel locking pedestrians—the ones who hadn’t heeded Chat Noir’s warning in time—into place in her wake.

She blazed ahead, leaving Nino to relay a quick message to Alix on how the rest of the classmates should catch up. 

Without a single word, Nino was pretty sure he knew what Alya was planning. They needed to get everyone to move to higher ground, and to start running footage for the Ladyblog to let Marinette know where they’d moved.

Neither of them had the slightest clue what Marinette might need, but Alya was probably hoping Marinette would bring along her Miraculous as well.

He looked back over his shoulder down the flights of stairs they’d just scaled, spotting most of the class trailing far behind them. Kim and Alix were leading the pack, with Ivan and Mylene and Rose and Juleka not too far behind. The two girls hovered back, checking on Kagami. They noisily fussed over her lack of skates on the rocky pavement as she hobbled stoically forward. 

Juleka’s brother silently brought up the back of the pack, periodically peering over his shoulder at the creeping edge of the caramel.

Nino’s eyes narrowed. Marinette hadn’t exactly had tons of friends before this year. Chloe had made sure of that for years on end. So, if Marinette had tapped them both for holding Miraculous, there was a fair chance any or all of the others had helped Ladybug out as well.

“Come on, Nino!”

He peered around, hearing his girlfriend’s footfalls echo at least a floor above. 

“I’m coming, babe.” Nino inhaled sharply before scrambling to catch up.

Keeping up with Alya wasn’t easy. Not even on a good day.

And this day?

Well, the jury was still out. 

With distance from the chaos, he was finally coming to terms with the major revelations of the day. To be honest, he was still a bit flummoxed, knowing that it was his best bro, hiding behind the mask of one of the biggest heroes they knew.

With a weary grin, Nino shook his head. In retrospect, all those quiet puns _should _have been a clue…

Chat Noir—no... _Adrien_, his _best friend_—was out there. He was veering the Akuma safely as far away from all of them as he could, just as he always had, quietly protecting them. Except from what he could see, the Akuma was intentionally making a mad, messy dash in the other direction, deliberately cutting off the clearest path back to them with sticky goo that would make it hard to group up and take her on. With Chat Noir currently battling solo, that didn’t exactly bode well for Adrien.

Nino frowned, adjusting his hat, and rushing up the last few flights of stairs two steps at a time.

In that moment, he hated that he didn’t always have the powers that Ladybug—that _Marinette_—would entrust him with.

He could only hope that Ladybug would think she needed his help this time.

Leading everyone to safety was hard enough to focus on without his thoughts continuously straying. 

Alya peered over at him, turning off her video feed as she noticed the look on his face. “What’s up?”

He nodded to her phone, as he plodded the last few steps to stand at her side. “I just started mentally replaying all the video footage you have on your blog.” He grimaced. “I know you have some videos where Chat Noir took massive hits for Ladybug. How many times have we come close to losing him while having _no _idea? This is terrifying!”

Alya’s jaw set. “I know. What makes it worse is knowing there are so many instances we aren’t even aware of because there was nobody there to witness or record the battles…”

Nino swiped his hat off, dragging his hand over his face. “I mean, it’s frustrating knowing that Adrien hasn’t ever been forthright about what was taking up all his free time. Not that his father ever left him much.” 

Alya exhaled, her hand reaching down to grab his. “You know you did everything you could, right? There wasn’t any way we would have been allowed to know all this…”

“Is it weird that I feel guilty that Adrien couldn’t be upfront about why he had no free time? I mean, his father never left him much anyways, but knowing he used it to protect Paris at his physical expense doesn't exactly make me feel better.” His eyes slid closed, shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. “I feel like I should be happy that he managed to escape at all, but knowing Adrien was Chat Noir this whole time is really sitting heavy on my conscience. I wasn't there for him. Now all that ’_sorry Nino, next time’_ makes sense to me."

“It’s a lot to take in, Nino.” She nodded, leaning against his shoulder, smirking fondly. “All of the times Marinette raced to get to school on time in the morning, all of those rapid exits... it all makes far too much sense. Now all those odd excuses she used add up—she had to save the best of her creativity to use in battle, after all.” 

Her brows furrowed as her gaze slipped downward in quiet introspection. “Though, it does make me wonder how many secrets Marinette has been keeping. All the times I pushed her, trying to make her confess her feelings to Adrien while she was dealing with so many things she couldn’t even talk about. How many of those secrets kept her from doing the things she wanted?”

Nino sighed. “Adrien has always been just as mum about who he had feelings for. I remember he and I ran into Ladybug pretty early on, when there was an Akuma at the TV station. With as much as he was blushing, I had just assumed it was some sort of celebrity crush—that Mr. Teen Model really was just the same as the rest of the mere mortals. I definitely had no clue he was her _partner_.”

Alya snorted. “So he liked her, and she liked him… and they have _both _been running in circles around one another, almost from the start. This would be ridiculous if it wasn’t so sad.”

He sighed, and wrapped an arm around her, cuddling her closer. 

“It just proves we both were right.” Alya smiled, wrapping her arms around him in return. “Marinette was exactly who Adrien needed.”

Nino sighed. “Yeah—Kagami is really nice and all… but I can imagine how she could remind him of all the pressures his father kept dropping on him. And it isn’t exactly in Adrien’s nature to push anyone away.”

Alya’s brow rose. “Not to mention that Marinette has already been so self-sacrificing when it came to him. As hyper focused as she has always been on keeping everyone safe, she might have been holding herself back because she was worried about him, if she was ever discovered.”

“Like this?” Nino murmured.

Alya frowned. “Exactly like this.” 

Nino hummed.

“You know,” Alya mused aloud, looking up from her phone screen. “When Ladybug and Chat Noir first appeared on the scene at the start of the school year, I almost got really, badly hurt.”

Nino gaped at her in horror.

“It was when Stoneheart returned with a vengeance. When the other Akuma copies started to appear, and were tossing cars everywhere. I was watching the battle -- a little too closely, maybe -- and there was no sign of Ladybug. Not until the car nearly crushed me, and she appeared to break me free. Before she called out Hawkmoth in front of the whole city.”

“Alya…” Nino’s eyes widened in disbelief, hugging her that much harder.

“I figured that first scoop with the first big Ladybug and Chat Noir battle against Stoneheart had been one a one off,” she breathed. “But it really was that second, more personal rescue that had me creating the Ladyblog. To prove to everyone else just how heroic they both really were.”

“For all I figured, I was just some nobody who Ladybug had stopped and freed from a car before she scrambled off.” Alya chuckled darkly. “She put herself in danger just to save _me_. How insane is it that Marinette did so much for me when we hadn’t even been friends for two whole days yet?”

Nino squeezed her hand, as the clatter of their classmates echoed in the stairwell behind them. “I’m always going to be thankful she did…”

She smirked gleefully, her fingers deftly skipping across the tiny screen in her hands. “Of course, you realize, she’s also entirely responsible for locking the two of us in that panther cage.”

Nino chuckled. “Think I should make her another mixtape as a thank you?”

“Let’s start with making sure we can help her get us through all this mess first.” 

“Speaking of, how is she going to find us?” Nino leaned in, whispering into his girlfriend’s ear.

Alya grinned, pulling up the short series of photos she’d already dropped onto her blog. “I’ve already been showing her how, of course.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Kellarhi for the beta read. Life is nuts right now, and trying to brain is next to impossible...

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Master Fu intoned gravely as he unlocked the Miraculous box with eyes closed. “Pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you on this mission. Choose wisely; such power is on hand to serve a greater good. Once the mission is over, you must retrieve the Miraculous from them.”

Marinette didn’t hesitate, her fingers darting into the box.

Tikki fretted, hovering above and fretfully devouring the cookie Marinette had handed to her.

“So many?” Master Fu questioned, his eyes growing wide.

Marinette nibbled at her lip, as she placed bracelet after bracelet onto her wrists.

Tikki nodded sagely, as they both watched Marinette slip the pair of necklaces on her neck. “I don’t like the risk, but there are definitely extenuating circumstances.”

“I just can’t afford to take any chances.” Marinette murmured, her hand hovering indecisively over the open box. “Not this time…”

Master Fu stroked his beard, pacing the floorboard nervously. “Then you must bring them back once everything is settled—as quickly as you can, Marinette.”

She nodded, calling Tikki into her transformation. After running out the door, she peeked back in with a rushed wave of reassurance. “I’ll be sure to bring back all five as soon as I can.”

“Five?” Master Fu shouted.

Gaping, he scrambled back to the box, peering at the still open container. “Marinette… what sort of mess have you two gotten yourselves into?”

* * *

_I need to stay focused. I need to stay focused._

The mantra rushed through her mind as the wind fluttered through her hair.

Without a doubt, she was worried. She was worried about their friends. She was worried about Kagami and how disappointed she must feel.

She was worried about Adrien. How many times had she thoughtlessly tossed Chat Noir? How many times had he thoughtlessly jumped in the way of a hit, or knocked her off her feet.

Or jumped, without hesitation, to a thankfully temporary demise. Of course, those times only sharpened her resolve to get her partner back.

But Adrien? With Adrien, she was so different. Every scrap of Ladybug confidence was flung out the window so she could trip fully over her own words—and her own feet—whenever Adrien was near. It was absolutely amazing knowing that she had been working so well with Adrien all along. 

She spotted him, leading the Akuma on a merry chase around the far edge of the business district, as entirely unfazed as ever.

Shaking her head, she swooped down. It was clear he had spotted her. Her gaze fell upon his—trained upon her, and only her—with just as much soft fondness as he ever had.

Unfortunately, it was enough for her to overshoot her landing. She windmilled wildly at the end to keep upright and on her feet.

She scrubbed a red glove over an increasingly red face. How on Earth did she think she was going to hold it together as Ladybug?

The loveable dork began to race towards her, anxiousness clear in his eyes.

Sensing an opportunity, the Akuma started to flood the street below him with pools of gooey caramel. As he vaulted precariously, Chat’s baton was mired in the rapidly hardening mess below, leaving him no choice but to forgo his baton. He leapt nimbly atop the rooftops.

Frowning, Ladybug nodded back towards the others. They definitely needed to re-group.

Between Chat Noir lacking his weapon, and her feeling sadly short on wits, they might well _need _a miracle.

Thankfully, a few friends at their side might just do the trick.

* * *

As she swooped down towards the building everyone had gathered on top of, Ladybug could hear Nino’s voice rumbling in a not-so-soft stage whisper. “At least now I know I can actually ask Ladybug to help me kick Gabriel’s ass or egg his house from above when he won’t let Adrien hang out.”

Alya smirked. “If you’re really lucky, there’s even a fair chance she’d say yes.”

“Hmmm…” Max’s eyes narrowed, pressing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and tugging his phone from his pocket. “According to my calculations, one of Pegase’s portals might be particularly good for that exact mission.”

Kim cackled boisterously. Alix lingered along the periphery watching quietly, as always.

Ladybug rolled her eyes as she touched down. Everyone was being far less cautious than before, and she could only assume at least some of them had started to figure out which others in their class had powers as well. 

She sighed, wondering if it was even worth the effort to prevent the others from revealing their identities.

Resolutely, she turned towards the bulk of the group. “Kim, Max, Rose, Juleka, Mylene and Ivan. I need you all to track back down and close up any doors you can find—it’ll help buy us more time. We want to slow down the caramel if it comes this high. Stick near the stairs, just in case.”

The others slowly headed down the stairs just as Chat Noir landed. Alix held back a little, leaving Rose and Juleka hovering at the doorway.

“And us?” Alya prodded, with unsubtle hope.

Ladybug smiled, ruefully. “I am going to need help… from all of you, if I’m going to make this work.”

"But first…" she pulled the watch from her belt. “Could you keep watch on this for me, please?”

Alix’s eyes widened. “Do you think—”

Ladybug smiled softly. “You’ll know what to do. If the _time _comes…”

Chat Noir chuckled gleefully at her pun, as he stepped into his usual spot beside her "Neither of us would doubt you for a _second_, Alix."

Ladybug didn’t have to roll her eyes; Alix saved her the trouble.

Which was good, seeing as Chat Noir had suddenly left her off balance—in spite of all of Tikki’s tricks—when he gently grabbed her hand.

Rose squealed joyously as Juleka tugged her away, neither really noticing how Ladybug flinched. 

Of course, it didn’t get past Chat Noir’s canny gaze. “Are you okay?”

Ladybug blinked.

“M—my Lady?” He pressed, pointedly standing apart from the others. His green eyes shone with concern. The warmth of his hand rested on her shoulder with painful familiarity.

She exhaled slowly, feeling the heat rush back to her cheeks.

“I can tell that something is bothering you,” he grinned, “even if I’m honestly not sure what it is…”

“Nev wever—” Ladybug’s eyes closed swiftly, summoning every scrap of superpowered focus she could muster to avoid mixing up her words any more. "We've never had to fight before—not like this. Not with these secrets all out in the open..."

“But it is _still_ just us.” Chat Noir chuckled. "It's not like _that _is anything new. It's still the two of us against the worst of what Hawkmoth can throw at us."

"But it's different, too…" Ladybug exhaled slowly. “You have to know it is…”

He frowned. "Not really." His claws slipped up to the nape of his neck, mirroring one of Adrien’s rarer habits. "Now we only know each other that much more."

Frustrated, she huffed out a delirious laugh. "You say that…" she bit back the _Kitty _that lingered on her tongue. "But since all of this started, you’ve barely punned. You haven't flirted."

His blinking green eyes shot wide.

Ladybug spun on her heel, pacing on the far side of the roof as the others looked on. At a glance she saw Nino’s hand reach out, keeping Alya from intervening. "You can't tell me you aren't acting differently." She huffed when Chat inevitably drew closer. "I'm not sure how to act myself, but that just makes me terrified I'm going to misread and make some planning misstep."

“You're not alone. We'll all be here, transformed _beside_ you." The heavy weight of his gaze followed her as she continued to pace in front of him, “If you feel lost, you have to know that I'll always be here with the direct approach. I might not be as clever as you are, but you know I am here to help you see it through.”

“Chat…” Her smile softened, tension in her form ebbing away as he slowly, gently, closed the distance between them. His eyes fell to the not-so-matching jewelry at her side. He tapped the thin band of jade on one wrist. 

“And if I manage to screw up, Nino will protect you. Alya will provide you with some illusions to help bait your trap, and Kagami will wreck them… if I can’t get there first. Besides, you've got Luka and Sass to give you as many second chances as you need.”

Her breathing slowed, her frenetic pace rolling to a halt as it sunk in just how well he understood those second chances.

“Everyone here is your _friend_.” His smile was fragile, trembling and uncertain, where the partner she knew would often bluff his way through. 

Of course, now she _knew_. Now she could see the worries and the vulnerabilities that his mask could no longer hide. She could remember with startling clarity, even those quieter moments when he had voiced his own fears of being replaced. 

“No one wants to let you down…”

Ladybug’s eyes narrowed, as she leaned in. Lifting up on her tiptoes, she tugged gently on his bell.

All so she could breathlessly press her lips to his.

Distantly she could hear the gasp from Alya. She was sure she felt the muscles beneath Chat’s shoulders twitch with the rapid-fire clicking sound of the phone’s camera shutter.

“I told you before, didn’t I?” Her eyes locked with his, as her gloved hands braced his face, effectively silencing the whole litany of questions from him. “No one is going to replace you. Okay?”

Chat Noir swallowed rapidly, nodding. 

“Good.” Ladybug stepped back, sighing slightly as a lazy, dizzyingly satisfied smile slipped onto his face. 

Nibbling at her lip, she pressed on, slowly shedding the Miraculous she’d been carrying, one-by-one, placing them into each respective holder’s hand. “Then let’s get moving.” 

His hand shot out, subtly grabbing her arm as the others started to transform in a soft glow of colored lights. “What about Alix? I’m sure you have something big in mind, if you’re putting her into play. What is her part in your grand plan?”

“Oh, _Kitty_...” Ladybug smirked ruefully, eyes dipping down to where his clawed hand lingered on her arm. “Let’s not worry about _splitting hares…_”


End file.
